“Sorry, this one is declined, too.”
Merit Diamond’s frown deepened as he took his second credit card back from the barista across the counter at Brew For You. The pretty brunette offered a sympathetic cringe.
What the hell is going on?
An impatient huff from some yuppy behind him prompted a glance over his shoulder. When the guy motioned for him to get on with it, he bit his tongue and turned back to hand over a ten.
“Keep the change,” he said as he moved to the side to wait for his latte.
His cards had no limits, or if they did, they weren’t ones he’d ever come close to reaching, so two separate cards being declined in one morning didn’t make any sense. Unless his numbers had been stolen, and the card company had shut them down to avoid additional theft? That had to be it.
But two different cards?
Maybe it was identity theft, not just stolen cards. He had some sort of security in place for that. He thought he did anyway. All his finances went through his trust fund, so he’d have to deal with it tomorrow.
Right now, he needed his caffeine before Sunday brunch at his parents’ house. Dad and Mom had flown home from Washington D.C. for the Fourth of July weekend, so everyone would be there this morning after having gathered at the house the previous night for their annual fireworks display.
He had hoped to see his new sister-in-law’s best friend at the cook-out yesterday, but when he’d managed to casually ask Honor if Mae was coming with her little boy, she said they always went to Boulder to her family’s picnic for the Fourth. She’d given him a quizzical look, but he masked his disappointment with a long pull off his beer.
Mae Lockhart had caught his attention good and hard the night of his father’s senatorial election back in November. Petite, blond, and fantastically feminine, she’d worn a black dress that clung to all her sexy curves.
But she’d shot him down without blinking an eye, and talked about the guy in her life named Ian, so he’d put her out of his mind. He enjoyed women, but never another man’s woman.
Two months later at Honor’s bakery opening in January, he’d met Mae’s Ian—her six year old son. She looked mildly guilty for duping him, but it hadn’t kept her from turning him down when he asked her out again. Then, and every other time they ran into each other—until Asher’s wedding at the beginning of May.
That night…holy shit that night.
Except, she’d left his bed before seven a.m. and ghosted him ever since. He found himself thinking about her every day. Dreaming about her at night. It wasn’t like he’d never had great sex before, and it wasn’t like she’d done anything crazy wild or kinky, but something about the blond beauty had gotten under his skin like no woman ever had.
“Here you go, Merit.”
He shook off the memories to take the coffee cup Lyssa offered across the counter. The brunette gave him an inviting smile, her brown gaze telegraphing clear signals like every other time he’d stopped at the shop since she’d started back in May. Had she started a few months earlier, he’d have gladly taken her up on the obvious offer. A few months ago, he hadn’t had the night of his life with Mae.
The woman had ruined him in the span of about six hours.
Somewhat annoyed he didn’t even feel a spark of interest for Lyssa, he gave the barista a cool smile and headed out. By the time he got to his parents’ house, everyone was seated out on the sunny patio, waiting for him before starting to eat.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said as he slid into his seat between Asher and his baby sister, Shelby. “I had an issue with my credit cards this morning.”
“You haven’t been on time since you moved out,” his dad grumbled.
He shot him a quick look. The credit cards were a valid reason, not a bullshit excuse he’d cooked up at the last minute.
“He wasn’t always on time before he moved out,” Shelby teased.
See?
“Your mother and I had hoped when you bought your own place you were finally growing up. Learning to become responsible.”
Merit sat back in his chair and arched his brows. “Can we at least say grace and start eating before this turns into a pile-on-Merit fest?”
His mom reached out to grip his dad’s hand. “He’s right. Let’s pray and then have a nice meal. Save it for later.”
The look the two of them exchanged gave him a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. But his mom folded her hands, and the rest of them bowed their heads. As the chorus of amens sounded after the prayer, Asher jabbed him with his elbow.
“Who’s the number?”
His brows dipped in confusion. “What?”
Asher pointed to Merit’s coffee cup before taking the bowl of scrambled eggs and ham Honor passed him. “That this week’s flavor?”
He reached to rotate his cup and realized Lyssa had written a phone number on the side. He hadn’t even noticed it because he’d been too preoccupied with thoughts of Mae.
Honor leaned forward to shoot him a smile. “So that’s why you stop for coffee on your way here.”
Nope. Since moving out, he’d discovered he preferred the sweeter lattes to the robust Jamaican roast his mom served. He kept meaning to get himself one of those special espresso machines, just hadn’t gotten around to it. Maybe he’d stop on his way home. Or order one online.
On his left, Shelby snorted. “A coffee barista? Could you get any more cliché, Mer?”
He shrugged as he took the eggs from Asher, scooped some onto his plate, and passed them to his sister. Let them think what they wanted. He’d cultivated the playboy rep long enough, he wasn’t about to broadcast the fact he was hung up on a woman who didn’t want him. Especially now that each of his older brothers had the love of their life sitting beside them. It was yet another way he didn’t measure up.
Across the table next to Loyal, Roxanna Kent caught his eye. When his brother’s girlfriend arched one dark eyebrow, he quickly averted his gaze. Great. The psychic was eyeing him like she was trying to figure out his secret.
Or she already knew it.
His gut clenched at the thought.
As the dishes were passed, plates filled, and conversations started, he added pepper to his eggs while casting a quick survey around the table. Over the past year, the make-up of their brunches had definitely changed. Grandpa Ira and Grandma Irene were still a constant, but since Dad had been sworn in as Senator in January, he and Mom were gone half the time.
Celia, Loyal, and Asher all had significant others now, and the half-brother they’d found out about last May sometimes joined them, sometimes not. Grayson had come to the fireworks last night, only to skip this morning. Though he and Loyal were in the midst of starting up a veterans foundation together, the guy still hadn’t embraced being a Diamond.
Merit didn’t blame him. Some days, he wasn’t so thrilled about it himself.
“What’s the status on your clinic?” he asked Shelby near the end of the meal.
“Construction begins on Monday,” she said with a wide grin.
She’d hired Lockhart Construction for the renovation project of her rundown warehouse in a low-income part of town, and his pulse kicked up a notch at the thought of casually dropping in to visit his baby sis for lunch. It would be the perfect opportunity to see Mae again.
Yep. Perfect opportunity for her to confirm in person she wants nothing to do with you.
He gripped his napkin in his lap. Being insecure when it came to women was a new thing for him, and he had to say, it royally sucked. Specifically for this particular woman.
“Your suggestions worked perfectly into the plans, by the way,” his sister said in a low tone. “I’m really glad you took a look.”
“Happy to have helped.”
He did a quick check to see if anyone had overheard the exchange. Since he hadn’t pursued a career with his engineering degree, he didn’t want to make a big deal out of helping Bells. It would only start up the badgering again.
At the head of the table, he noticed his dad set his silverware to the side as his mom refilled his coffee cup. His dad gave her a smile of thanks, then sat back in his chair while taking a sip, his brown gaze shifting to catch Merit’s over the rim of his cup. “Any news on the job front?”
He clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath to prepare for the inevitable as he shifted his gaze to glare down at his plate. “Nope.”
“You bother looking?”
“Been busy.”
“Doing what?”
He lifted his shoulders while toying with his fork. “Moving in. Getting settled.”
There was more than that, but he wasn’t about to tell the entire table about it. Or any single one of them, for that matter.
“You bought that house three months ago. You don’t do anything else useful with your life, so what in God’s name is taking you three months to get settled?”
“Dad,” Loyal interrupted. “I have a few things to go over for the foundation. Can I get some time before you and Mom head back to Washington?”
“Of course. After Merit and I are done.”
“We are done,” Merit said. He wasn’t doing this again. And next brunch, he was fucking pulling a Grayson.
“When are you guys flying out?” Asher asked from his right.
“Bill has us scheduled for take-off at four,” their mom said. “We have to meet him at the hangar by three-thirty.”
“Well, then, we might as well tell you now…” His middle brother paused, and everyone at the table turned, watching and waiting with expectation. Honor tucked her red hair behind her ear and lifted her eyebrows in silent question. Merit noticed their clasped hands just before Asher nodded at his wife, and they shared a smile.
Together, they turned their grins toward his parents and said, “We’re pregnant.”
“Oh!” Mom exclaimed. She clapped her hands, then waved a hand at her face as tears flooded her eyes. “The first grandbaby!”
Merit sat quietly, smiling at the pure joy on his brother’s face while everyone else peppered him and Honor with congratulations and questions of the due date. He was happy for them. Asher would be a great father.
He on the other hand, couldn’t even imagine being in his brother’s shoes.
Someday maybe. Years from now. He’d only just turned twenty-six two months ago, he wasn’t ready to be strapped down with that type of responsibility.
For his immediate future, the plan was to get over Mae Lockhart and get back to enjoying life. That infamous Diamond family plan he usually turned his nose up at was going to come in handy for once. His gaze strayed to the phone number on his coffee cup. Maybe Lyssa could help him with his plan. Starting tonight.
Everyone had risen to exchange hugs with the expectant couple, so Merit took his turn and then started collecting dirty dishes. Sunday morning staff always cooked and served the meal, but then they got the rest of the day off and the kids all cleaned up. He didn’t usually stick around for that part, but maybe today he would. Loyal had jumped in pretty quick to distract Dad earlier. In fact, they’d grown closer since his oldest brother moved back from Texas last fall. It was surprisingly nice feeling like he had an ally.
As he stacked a fourth plate in his hands, his dad stepped up beside him. “Merit, I’d like to see you in my office please.”
“Sorry, but I’m on dish duty today.”
“Let the others handle that. This can’t wait.”
“Thanks a lot, Dad,” Shelby groused with a smile. “First time he actually wants to help and you take him away.”
Their father leaned down to give her a kiss on the temple while shooting Merit a stern look that said he’d better follow.
Yep, that’s about how it went around the Diamond house. Bells got a kiss, he got the evil eye. Figuring it was better to get this over with, he handed the plates off to his sister and grabbed his mostly empty coffee cup.
He had a feeling he wouldn’t be sticking around after their chat.